10 best London 2012 Olympics apps

Top apps to follow the games

The greatest multi-sport event on Earth is about to begin in London, and app developers have jumped on the bandwagon, meaning there's a deluge of Olympics-related smartphone and tablet apps flooding the respective app stores.

Finding the good ones – and trust us, there are some great ones out there – can be tricky, so we've scoured the stores to bring you the very best apps for London 2012.

From apps packed with news and beautiful photography, to ones that'll help you understand each sport's rules and transport guides, we've got something for everyone, whether you're going to an event or watching from the comfort of your sofa.

1. London 2012: Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games - Free

The Olympics is about more than just the sports – a programme of arts and other events is taking place around the country, and this app helps you find what's going on near you, including details of events at your nearest Live Site. It's also got a full calendar of what sports are happening when, and if you tap through to a specific event, you'll find live photo highlights from Twitter once things kick off.

2. London 2012: Official Results App - Free

Follow all the news and results throughout the Olympics and Paralympics with the official app. It'll have profiles of every athlete taking part, a medal table and live scores to ensure you can keep on top of what's going on wherever you are. The 'My Games' area enables you to add your favourite sports, events and athletes, making it a breeze to keep an eye on the things that interest you most.

3. Reuters Olympics London - Free

Feast your eyes on some beautiful Olympics photography in a smartly presented app, best enjoyed on the iPad's big screen. Browse the timeline of photographs to find an image, many of which have fascinating infographics with facts about the sports they show. The app will be updated with new photos through the Games period, so make sure you check back regularly to get up close to the action.

4. Curly's Pocket Guide to sports - 69p

If you're going to watch a sport that you don't really know the rules of, grab yourself a copy of this gorgeous app. Not only does it explain the rules of all the Olympic sports and the competition format for each in a simple and yet witty way, but it's packed full of interesting trivia that you can drop into conversation with your friends – like the fact that writer Albert Camus nearly became a professional footballer, but his dreams were thwarted by TB.

5. BBC Olympics - Free

A slick one-stop shop to catch up on all the latest Olympics sport news from the BBC. It's also got a section with Team GB-specific news, which is the easiest way to keep up to date with the fortunes of home nations athletes. It's also got an events schedule and a live coverage area that will have text commentary and up to 24 streams of live video when the Games get going.

6. London Olympics 2012 - 50p

This app gives you a whole bundle of useful info if you're heading to the Games – even at venues outside London. As well as weather forecasts, live traffic information and a venue-by-venue or day-by-day fixture list, it's got an Explore section, containing places to visit, stay, eat, drink and party in between watching the sporting events. The only downer is that the Underground map it contains is several years out of date, and so is missing some of the new rail links around the Olympic Park.

7. London 2012 - Official Mobile Game - Free (Premium £1.99)

Immerse yourself in the various Olympic sports on your phone or tablet. Set up your character, practise the events and then take part in them for real, winning credits for achievements to boost your avatar and unlock new events. Then there are numerous challenges to take on and a trophy cabinet to fill – plenty to keep you occupied as you wait for your favourite events at the real Olympics to start.

8. London Tube Deluxe - 69p

If you're going to the Olympics in London, chances are you'll be using public transport. To help you plan your journey and keep on top of any disruptions around the capital, get yourself a copy of London Tube Deluxe, which has Underground, Overground and National Rail maps of the capital (all of which work without an internet connection), as well as a route planner and live line updates. While you'll need an internet connection for the latter services, remember that increasing numbers of Underground stations now offer Wi-Fi deep below the surface.

9. London Bus Buddy - Free

If you'd rather see a bit more of London on your way to or from your Olympic events, why not take the bus rather than squeezing onto a packed Tube train and travelling in dark tunnels? London Bus Buddy uses Transport for London's data to give you live departures from any bus stop in the capital, route information and a journey planner – which will work offline as well as online.

10. TripAdvisor - Free

Best known for its hotel reviews, TripAdvisor is also a great way to find restaurants and things to do when you're out and about in London for the Olympics. Find eateries and attractions close to you using your phone's GPS, and see how they've been rated by other travellers. And if you are stuck for accommodation, it can of course point you towards over a thousand London hotels – though whether any will have last-minute rooms available during the Games is another matter…